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Sprint U.S. Grand Prix Coming to Breckenridge

The Sprint U.S. Grand Prix, America’s top tour for freeskiing and snowboarding, is coming to Breckenridge Ski Resort Jan. 8-12. Here’s Lyman Currier in the halfpipe during the Dew Tour iON Mountain Championships. (Alli Sports)

BRECKENRIDGE, CO (Dec. 20) – The Sprint U.S. Grand Prix, America’s top tour for freeskiing and snowboarding, is coming to Breckenridge Ski Resort Jan. 8-12. The second stop on the Grand Prix tour will be among five events being used to qualify the 2014 Olympic Team for freeskiing and snowboarding. The tour stop for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s Grand Prix and an International Ski Federation (FIS) Freestyle World Cup for freeskiing was moved from Northstar California Resort to Breck because of its competition-ready venue already in place. Despite quality snow conditions at Northstar, the region was not getting sufficiently cold temperatures for snowmaking teams to ensure the huge production of snow required for building a competition halfpipe and slopestyle venue. Breckenridge recently played host to the opening qualifier at the Dew Tour iON Mountain Championships. The event will feature top international athletes and will be broadcast on NBC and NBCSN.

HIGHLIGHTS

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s Sprint U.S. Grand Prix will move to Breckenridge Ski Resort Jan. 8-12.

It will be the second stop on the Grand Prix tour and a part of five qualifiers to select the 2014 Olympic freeskiing and snowboard teams.

Facilities are in place at Breckenridge, which recently played host to the Dew Tour iON Mountain Championships.

The Grand Prix stop is sanctioned as an International Ski Federation World Cup for freeskiing as well as an Association of Freeskiing Professionals Platinum event, as well as a World Snowboard Tour 5-star TTR competition.

The event will be broadcast on NBC and NBCSN.

QUOTESCalum Clark, Vice President, Events, U.S. Ski and Snowboard AssociationBreckenridge will be an outstanding Grand Prix venue and a vital part of our Olympic Team selection. While the snow conditions are great at Northstar and the region is now experiencing much colder temperatures, we all mutually felt that it was too great a risk for the resort given the massive amounts of snowmaking required to build the venue. We’re very sorry to not be going to Northstar, which has an outstanding track record of building tremendous venues, but this move will enhance Northstar’s ability to serve its guests and keep the event in the Vail Resorts family at Breckenridge.